@marillo Globe-News: Sports: Confusion! 6/29/98

LUBBOCK - The final score usually isn't open to debate once a game ends.

But a confusing and bizarre ending left the outcome in question Sunday when the Lubbock Crickets and Amarillo Dillas met at Dan Law Field.

The Texas-Louisiana League contest was halted in the top of the fourth inning by plate umpire Travis Hargroader after a long and animated exchange with Lubbock manager Glenn Sullivan.

Now the question remains whether the game will result in a Cricket forfeit and an official 9-0 Dilla win, or whether the game will be resumed with Amarillo leading 7-6 in the top of the fourth. Lubbock general manager Bob Flanagan said a protest is being filed by both teams, and he hopes to have a decision from the league by today.

At the heart of the debate was Amarillo slugger Tim Howard's bat. Howard, who leads the league with a hefty .496 batting average, had just rolled into a fielder's choice in the fourth. Sullivan protested how high up the bat Howard had put pine tar, a substance used to improve the batter's grip.

Hargroader measured the pine tar against the left side of the plate and concurred that there was too much pine tar. He then tossed the bat out of the game, but not Howard. That prompted Sullivan's argument.

"I never got an answer," Sullivan said. "I protested the bat and (Hargroader) never made a decision and then walked off the field."

When Suliivan demanded a further ruling of some sort, Hargroader apparently refused. After a another heated exchange, Sullivan refused to leave the field, prompting Hargroader to turn to the official scorer in the press box, call the game and walk off the field.

"For an umpire to make a call and show that the bat was clearly over the allowed limit and then not make a ruling ... that's our beef," Flanagan said.

According to the Major League Baseball rulebook, the bat can, in fact, be thrown out of the game. But the player at bat cannot be changed, nor can the player be ejected.

Rule No. 110c officially states: "The bat handle, for not more than 18 inches from its end, may be covered or treated with any material or substance to improve the grip. Any such material or substance which extends past the 18-inch limitation shall cause the bat to be removed from the game."

An addendum to the rule adds, "If the umpire discovers that the bat does not conform to (Rule 110c) ... until or after it is used, it shall not be grounds for declaring the batter out or ejection from the game."

The rule is often referred to as the George Brett rule. In 1984, Brett's Kansas City Royals were playing the New York Yankees when Brett's bat was ruled to have pine tar past the allowed limit after he hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth. Brett was ejected and the home run was disallowed, kicking off a storm on controversy.

The ruling was later reversed, and the addendum to Rule 110c was created.

On Sunday, however, the intent of the rulebook seemed to be lost in the frustration of a game suddenly stopped.

"The league is going to have to make a decision on this," Sullivan said.

Howard, who is 9-for-13 in this weekend's series, wasn't thrilled by Sunday's turn of events.

"We've been here for three days and if it was that big an issue why wasn't it dealt with on my first at-bat in the first game," he said. "It's unfortunate for both teams that we didn't get to finish the game."

Flanagan said either Sullivan or Hargroader or both could face disciplinary action from the league.

Fans in attendance Sunday are asked to hold on to their ticket stubs and exchange them for a ticket to a future game.